Description
Following suggestions for changes by reviewers of Luthar Two, this is an easy-to-follow, no fuss, modified and improved route, which makes the most of the well-surfaced off-road Upper Lea Valley Way to connect Luton with Harpenden.
Starting from Luton station, swerve the main town centre and head towards Luton Airport Parkway station along Park Street. At around the 2km mark you will reach a combined cycle and footpath, which goes all the way to Harpenden.
The path passes a mix of woodland and agricultural fields. It is well surfaced all the way. There are some benches too. At the highest point there is an information board and some memorials, including one to Eric Morecambe.
At Harpenden come off the footpath and walk up residential streets for about 1km to the train station.
No refreshment opportunities between the town centres, but it's not a long route.
Luton has a pleasant traffic-free town centre, which it would be nice to route through; but direct access from the railway station is through a large shopping mall, only open during retail hours; hence the swerve. The route touches the edge of the traffic-free town centre area at the start of Park Street, so it gives easy access to this part of town
Following suggestions for changes by reviewers of Luthar Two, this is an easy-to-follow, no fuss, modified and improved route, which makes the most of the well-surfaced off-road Upper Lea Valley Way to connect Luton with Harpenden.
Starting from Luton station, swerve the main town centre and head towards Luton Airport Parkway station along Park Street. At around the 2km mark you will reach a combined cycle and footpath, which goes all the way to Harpenden.
The path passes a mix of woodland and agricultural fields. It is well surfaced all the way. There are some benches too. At the highest point there is an information board and some memorials, including one to Eric Morecambe.
At Harpenden come off the footpath and walk up residential streets for about 1km to the train station.
No refreshment opportunities between the town centres, but it's not a long route.
Luton has a pleasant traffic-free town centre, which it would be nice to route through; but direct access from the railway station is through a large shopping mall, only open during retail hours; hence the swerve. The route touches the edge of the traffic-free town centre area at the start of Park Street, so it gives easy access to this part of town
Status
This route has been reviewed by 3 people.
There are no issues flagged.
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Information
Route status - Live
Reviews - 3
Average rating -
Is this route good enough? - Yes (3)
There are currently no problems reported with this route.
Downloads - 1
Surveys
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Geography information system (GIS) data
Total length
Maximum elevation
Minimum elevation
Start and end points
Luton
Grid Ref
TL0917321598
Lat / Lon
51.88227° / -0.41527°
Easting / Northing
509,173E / 221,598N
What3Words
salsa.tricks.truth
Harpenden
Grid Ref
TL1369614210
Lat / Lon
51.81497° / -0.35201°
Easting / Northing
513,696E / 214,210N
What3Words
fast.mutual.lifts
| Luton | |
|---|---|
| Grid Ref | TL0917321598 |
| Lat / Lon | 51.88227° / -0.41527° |
| Easting / Northing | 509,173E / 221,598N |
| What3Words | salsa.tricks.truth |
| Harpenden | |
|---|---|
| Grid Ref | TL1369614210 |
| Lat / Lon | 51.81497° / -0.35201° |
| Easting / Northing | 513,696E / 214,210N |
| What3Words | fast.mutual.lifts |
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reviews
Andy_mackay
17 Feb 2024A logically routed Slow Way. Good starting and ending locations with good access to onward travel and facilities. Takes in the countryside vistas (and the sewage works) between the two towns.
All of the route can be done on tarmac thanks to the Upper Lea Valley Trail. Some minor inclines and declines (see photos) reasonably straightforward to walk without any real navigation conundrums. Narrowist parts are a few sections of bike barriers. Almost entirely easy to navigate, only had to refer to the app a handful of times for road crossings/ underpass.
Five stars.
Heather S.
19 Feb 2023Walked Harpenden to Luton. Pretty straightforward walk that is almost entirely on the cycleway with nice views of the river lea and trains passing by.
Because it's on a cycleway it is accessible to all sorts of wheels except for a very short and easily bypassable footpath at the very beginning of Harpenden.
The path goes right past Luton Airport Parkway station which I availed of rather than walk the last mile into Luton itself.
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Jane Taylor
29 Apr 2022Easy route linking the two town centres, mostly along a continuous cycle/foot path, the Upper Lea Valley Way.
I walked Luton to Harpenden. From Luton station to the start of the ULVW is just under 2km of urban walking, not especially interesting, but I didn’t find it unpleasant - even the low aircraft on final approach to Luton airport added flavour rather than irritation!
Once on the dedicated footpath the going is very easy. Soon the airport is a distant memory and there are fields and greenery all around.
At the highest point is a bench, and an information board, which highlights some of the area’s other claims to fame: Eric Morecombe, Sea Cadets, and a Capability Brown landscape.
The photo of the cows - they are in a separate field, on the far side of a hedge, not on the path!
The rest of the walk as far as Harpenden outskirts is very pleasant - excepting the inevitable sewage works! (I passed by the point where Luthar Two turns off, and I agree with the reviewers of that route that it doesn’t look like a particularly safe or pleasant walking option, compared with staying on the Lea Valley Way into Harpenden.)
At Harpenden the route turns up the hill. The last 1km is on residential streets, and passes some schools, so if you are passing by at about 3.30 on a schoolday it will be busy!
All in all I think this is a good example of how a slow way should be: it uses the best of the available route options to create a direct, safe, and enjoyable route between neighbouring towns.
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